Fries before Guys
by ghostyStarr
Summary: In which Nico has an unhealthy obsession with a McDonald's. Not for the food, but rather a particular worker. AU Solangelo.
1. The Customer is Always Right

**_Shoot me. I can't stop writing these fics._**

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><p>America wasn't what Nico di Angelo had been expecting. The mental picture he had was of grandiose landscapes and cowboys and a gun store on every corner. However, what he got was far less than the Hollywood flashes of extravagance and patriotism. In fact, his very first American meal had been a crappy dinner from McDonald's.<p>

It hadn't really been exciting. They had them in Italy, after all, but for some reason his new roommate, Jason, was adamant that Nico had an original 'All-American' burger. Nico had barely been in the country for twenty-four hours, or known his eccentric roommate for more than three, and he was already being whisked off campus and into town and into a red building with the telltale golden 'M' arching out front with a group of strange people.

Nico couldn't help but look around. He was in _America_. He was in a whole new _country._ So sue him if he was a little curious. In fact, he was too busy stewing over said curiosity to notice that it was his turn to order. "Yo, foreigner, you're up," Jason's friend said and urged him forward. Nico was pretty sure his name was P-something. Percival? No, just Percy. That was it. He pushed Nico right up to the counter and spoke slowly with a lot of hand motions, as if talking to a toddler, "Order. Food. Here."

Percy's girlfriend, some blonde with a wicked right hook, as displayed by how she clonked him over the head, glared at him. "He speaks _English,_ you moron!"

"And he really doesn't like bodily contact!" Jason called helpfully from the drink station. Beside him, his other friend, Leo, had his head underneath the soda dispenser, no shits given, and snuck a mouthful of Mountain Dew.

At that point, Nico wondered if it had really been such a smart idea to study abroad.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really hoped he wouldn't be stuck with these people all year. He looked up at the worker behind the counter, who was biting his lower lip and trying very hard not to laugh. Nico blushed. This complete stranger probably thought he was an idiot. He glanced back up. This completely _attractive _stranger.

Truthfully, the worker was too good-looking for the black polo shirt and visor that was enforced by the restaurant's management. His skin was a perfect tan, clear and with just the lightest dusting of freckles spreckled across his nose and cheeks. His eyes were a crystalline, sky blue, which were smiling along with those thin lips and blinding teeth. His hair stuck out messily over the visor in a carefree, almost windblown way. Nico suddenly couldn't find his voice.

The worker cleared his throat and put on a large grin. "Welcome to McDonald's!" he sang in a loud, deep voice. Nico's resolve began to crumble. "May I take your order?"

Nico blinked. "Er…"

The other boy's smile turned sheepish. "You really _do_ speak English, right?"

Nico's look of awe turned into a sharp scowl on a dime. "Of course I do!"

"Oh, good," he sighed, visibly relieved. "Because I can speak, like, two words of Spanish and I slept through high school French so… Anyways, yeah, are you ready to order?" The cheesy grin was back.

Nico didn't like how easily that smile affected him so he flashed his gaze up to menu above them. He ordered quickly and the other boy nodded and tapped the screen in front of him. Nico caught a glimpse of the silver name-tag stuck to his chest.

_will :)_

Apparently, someone had had fun labeling his.

The worker – Will – glanced back up. "Is that everything for today?"

Nico nodded and paid and Will handed him a receipt. Nico mumbled a, "Thanks," and hurried over to where his dumb roommate and his even dumber friends were standing.

"I'm so proud," Jason teased. "His first American meal."

Nico huffed, plugged his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the wall as they waited for their food. The others talked to him and Nico only half paid attention to what he said because the other half was stuck on the McDonald's employee as he helped another customer – a mother and her two young children. Will ducked down for a moment and pulled out a couple of small plastic-packaged bags. The kids nearly climbed up the counter in their rush to pick out a toy and Will only laughed when the mother apologized. "I've got a lot of siblings," he said, waving her off. "It's fine."

When their food was ready, Will handed him the tray personally, smiling a little bit more softly that he had with the other customers. "Have a good day," he said even softer and Nico could only gape into those pools of blue and nod mutely.

"Er… Yeah, you, too," he got out lamely, ducked his head, and immediately sat down in between Jason and Percy. He looked up at the counter occasionally only to – more often than not – find the other boy's stare already on him. Every time he was caught, Will quickly made it look like he was busy wiping the counter or counting cups or some other random thing. Nico hid a smile behind a fry.

And that was how his addiction to McDonald's started.

Granted, it helped that Jason and his friends seemed to have chosen the place as their unofficial 'hang out' zone and would spend hours at a time sitting at the same booth, talking and doing homework and causing mayhem in the playhouse attached to the building. Nico had become an honorary member in no time despite having nothing in common with the rest. He supposed they just wanted to make him feel welcome, and he was grateful for that.

The best days were when Will was working.

The second time Nico came into McDonald's Will had been looking down at the screen when Nico approached the counter. "Welcome to McDonald's. How may I help—?" He raised his gaze and broke off, staring widely at Nico as if he had three eyes. Then, he broke into a brilliant smile. "Hey!" he greeted warmly.

Nico, quite aware of Leo's curious stare on the back of his head, used all his willpower not to smile back. "Hello."

Will smiled at him for a few more awkward moments before he jumped slightly. "Oh, right! Sorry. You probably want to order." His shoulders rose a bit apologetically. "What can I get you?"

_Your number, for starters, _was Nico's go-to thought, but instead he just gave his order, identical to last time. That time, when the other boy handed him his change, their hands grazed ever so slightly and Nico almost spilled coins all over the floor. He retreated at once so that Leo could order, ignoring the smirk on Valdez's face as he went.

"Hey, Nico," Leo teased later on as they walked back to campus, "are you _McLovin' it?_ Or, should I say, _him?"_

"What?" Percy snorted.

"Oh, come on! Di Angelo, here, was _totally_ making goo-goo eyes at the blonde worker guy!" Leo batted his eyelashes at Nico, who envisioned wringing his hands around Leo's neck and _squeezing—_but, instead resisted. "Hey, maybe you should tell him you like his _hot buns."_

Scratch that. Nico darted for him, yelling curses in Italian, but Leo just let out a whoop of laughter and ran like lightning.

The third time was just as awkward, and this time – thanks to Leo's loud mouth – his entire group of friends observed their interaction _very_ closely. Nico was blushing bright red the whole time and even Will seemed to be a bit nervous. He kept glancing back at Nico's friends and looking at his own appearance as if worried there was ketchup on him or something. But, no, Will looked as perfect as ever, and Nico resisted the urge to throw ice cubes at a laughing Leo and a perplexed Percy when he sat down.

"He goes to our school, you know," Annabeth told him. "I think he's a junior. He's in my anatomy class."

Great, now he was cute _and_ smart. Nico just groaned and dropped his forehead to the table. Annabeth patted his arm while Jason stole a fry.

The seventh time was when, finally, there was some actual interaction between them. It was just Nico and Piper. The others were meeting up with them later on. Nico felt much more relaxed without Leo making kissy sounds as they walked in or Jason practically chaperoning Nico to the counter in order to watch their interaction with a warning in his stance or Percy asking horrifyingly loud questions. _"Wait. So… Oh, is THAT him? That's the guy?"_ Annabeth tried to help, but Nico could hear her detailed explanations clearly from the front of the restaurant.

But, now, none of them were here. The restaurant seemed a lot bigger and quieter. Piper ordered a salad and gave him a quick smile before going to sit down by the window. She didn't look back up, and Nico breathed a sigh of relief. He shyly approached the register.

Will smiled easily and leaned his elbows against the counter. His hair fell in front of his eyes a bit. "Got a small crowd today, huh?" he said. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "They're all idiots."

Will laughed. Nico's chest tightened up. "Yanno, I've seen you in here a lot. I know Annabeth and Leo from class. But I don't know your name."

"Nico," he said a bit too quickly. "Nico di Angelo."

"Di Angelo," Will repeated. "Wow. That's actually a pretty cool name." Nico felt a rush of nerves render his vocal chords useless. "My name's Will."

The corners of Nico's mouth twitched. "I know."

"What?" Will blinked before lightly slapping himself on the head. "Right, duh, name-tag." He grinned cheekily. "I got to print the label out myself."

Well, that explained the smiley face.

"Congratulations."

The laugh Will gave him was well worth having to endure hearing Leo make kissy noises all week long. Will pushed himself upright and prepped his pointer finger at the screen. "So, Nico di Angelo, getting your regular?"

Nico cracked a smile. "Paying attention to what I order, are you?"

Will snorted. "You get the same thing every time."

Nico raised an eyebrow. They shared a look and then Will tapped a few buttons on the screen. Nico laughed. They made small talk until his food was ready. Will handed him his tray, letting their fingers brush, and winked. "Enjoy, Nico."

Nico smiled back. "See you later, Will." He confidently walked away and sat down. "Not one word about this to the others," he grumbled as she beamed at him. "I mean it." He made her promise and ate triumphantly. It tasted better than usual.

About a week after that, midterms struck. Nico found himself swamped with too much work with not enough time to do it all. American universities were considerably more difficult than he was used to. "Dammit," he murmured as his stomach growled.

He needed a break.

He really hadn't thought about it until he was suddenly there, walking through the glass doors and hearing the static-filled radio music. Somehow, his legs had carried him to the fast-food restaurant before his mind caught up with him. Even stranger, he felt immediately better when he saw a mop of blonde hair standing behind the counter, looking bored. The restaurant was dead; not a single customer in sight.

Will's eyes turned to the door and, Nico was pleased to see, he brightened up immensely. He straightened up, a dorky smile on his face, and put his hands on his hips. "Just can't stay away, can you?" he teased when Nico walked up.

Nico rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you secretly lace your food with narcotics."

Will chuckled. "The food here is definitely _not_ worth the health hazard," he said with a grimace. "I can barely stomach it anymore."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Should you be saying that to a customer?"

Will grinned. "Ah, but you're not just a normal customer, though."

His heart might have just stopped. "Then, uh, what am I?"

That freaking smile. He just gave a coy shrug and a wink. "Getting the regular again?"

Oh, god, his heart seriously might being going into cardiac arrest. And not from fatty foods. Nico managed a smile. "You know me so well."

Will snorted and the rest was routine. He tapped on the screen. Nico handed him some cash. Their hands touched as Will returned the change – though this time the amount of contact was a bit unnecessary but totally welcome. "So, you're lone-wolfing it tonight, huh?" Will asked.

Nico sighed. "Yeah. I needed a break from studying. I was going crazy just sitting in my dorm."

"I hear ya. Midterms have got me pretty swamped, too. But just standing here is even worse."

"Do you get a break?" Nico asked. _What am I doing?_

Will raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"

He shrugged. "Well, by the time I walk back to my dorm my food'll be cold. So I'm just gonna eat here."

Will picked up on his drift immediately. "Well, I couldn't let you eat alone."

And that was how Nico had managed to get Will to eat dinner with him in the empty McDonald's. He had a few more minutes before he could take his break, and told him to go sit down and he'd join in a moment. Nico took a seat at the usual place his friends ate at and waited, playing with the straw simply for something to do.

Will returned a few moments later with a salad and a water bottle in hand. Nico happily eyed his legs as he approached. He'd only ever seen the other boy behind a counter and, whoa, those were some seriously skinny jeans. Not that Nico was complaining. He sat across from Nico with a sigh. "Thank God!" he groaned. "Work sucks!"

Nico just scoffed. "A salad? Really?"

"What?" Will huffed. "I told you. I can't stomach the burgers here. I've seen things, Nico. Horrible things."

"I'd like to stay ignorant, please."

Will chuckled. "I don't have a problem with _other_ people endangering their bodies."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm not _endangering my body!"_

"Dude, you eat here, like, once a week. That _can't_ be healthy."

"And what makes you an expert?"

"I'm a pre-med student," Will said simply.

Nico frowned. "So, why's a pre-med student working at a fast-food restaurant?"

Will shrugged. "It's close." He took a sip of his water. "All right. So what about you? What's your major?"

"Forensics," Nico answered.

"What kind?"

"Ah, well, bone analysis, mostly." He shrank in on himself. He was used to people telling him his major was creepy.

"So, you wanna work for the police and all that?"

Nico nodded.

"That's so cool!" Will lit up. "I have to look at bones every day in my anatomy class, and, boy!" He whistled. "Good luck!"

Nico relaxed. "Thanks," he said dryly.

"Oh, and, I've been meaning to ask, but where are you from exactly?"

"Italy. I was born in Venice."

"I figured from the accent it was something like that but, ugh, I'm so jealous. Venice just sounds so much fancier than Manhattan. Anyways, you've seen a lot of the city yet?"

Nico nodded. "My roommate has been pretty adamant on that, yeah."

"And does Mr. Di Angelo from Venice like what he sees?"

Nico had just enough courage to smirk, never looking away from Will's face. "Yes. He does."

A light blush colored those tan cheeks and Nico awarded himself with a fry.

They talked about anything and everything. Nico couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed himself so much. Nico lost track of time, too caught up in some story Will was telling him about his family, until a sudden thought struck him. "Crap! What time is it? Don't you have to get back to work?"

Will's eyes widened. "Crap!" He shot up. "I gotta go!" He took half a step then stopped and turned back. "Uh, I really liked talking to you. Um." Was he really blushing? "We should do it again. Soon."

Internally, Nico was screaming and doing a victory dance. Outwardly, he just smiled. "Yeah. Definitely."

Will's smile turned nervous. "But not at McDonald's."

The mental screaming stopped. Nico froze. "Wait…" He locked eyes with him. "Are you asking me out?"

Will raised his shoulders and shrunk back a bit, looking adorably nervous. "Yeah?"

Nico tried to play it cool. He really did. But the giddy smile ruined the effect. "Well, you could've asked for my number first."

Will visibly relaxed and suddenly everything was different but better. "So is that a yes?"

A bubble of laughter escaped him. He quickly silenced it and began to fish around in his overstuffed pockets for a pen. He grabbed a napkin and scribbled his cell number on it before handing it over to Will. "Do you work Saturday?"

Will took it as if it was a holy offering. "I'm off."

"Good." Nico stood. "Because I found this really good Italian place nearby. It's genuine."

Will held up his empty hand. "Wait. Am I asking you out and are _you_ asking _me_ out?"

Nico thought for a moment. "Both?"

Will blinked. "Both works."

"SOLACE!" an angry voice shouted from the back.

"Crap!" Will jumped. "I'M COMING!" He turned back to Nico. "Sorry. Duty calls."

"I get it." He shrugged on his jacket. "I should be going anyways. Midterms tomorrow."

Will nodded. "So… I'll text you?"

"You'd better."

Will beamed and sent him another wink before wishing him a goodnight. Nico said a soft goodbye and watched as he disappeared behind the counter, no doubt getting yelled at by his boss.

He managed to contain himself as he left the restaurant but, as soon as the doors closed behind him, he pumped both fists in the air and made an excited noise that he would never, ever let another person hear.

America hadn't been what Nico was expecting at all. It was even better.

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><p><strong><em>AN: As you can see, I had too much fun with this. I may or may not write a second part. ...Maybe. X3  
><em>**


	2. Dates and Departures

**_A/N: The masses have spoken, and I have no self-control. So, here's part two. X3 Really, thank you all for all the Solangelo McLovin'!_**

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><p>Nico's friends were jerks.<p>

He didn't dare tell them about his date with the McDonald's employee in fear of their reactions. Most likely, said reactions would consist of rushing to the restaurant and embarrassing Will to the point that he wouldn't even want to deal with Nico any more. And Nico wasn't going to let that happen.

If anyone was going to screw up things between them it was going to be _him,_ dammit.

Unfortunately for him, he had a habit of misplacing his cellphone in random places. One such place was on his desk, buried under several loose, probably-important papers. Nico was sitting on his bed, studying, while Leo occupied the chair in front of his desk, balancing on the back two legs. Jason and he were talking animatedly about some TV show that Nico had no idea about. "_I'm telling you, man. I still don't trust that priest Gabriel guy. Something isn't right!" _He ignored them entirely until he heard his text tone. Immediately, he snapped his attention up to his desk, but Leo was already eyeing the phone with mal-intent. He smiled dangerously at Nico and reached his hand out.

"Don't do it," Nico hissed. "Just don't."

It happened all in a flash. Leo lunged for the phone, Nico lunged at him with his hands outstretched in a choking motion, and Jason lunged to step in between them. "Why can't I see it, huh?" Leo taunted, tapping his phone awake. "Is it a dirty text? Oh, you naughty boy."

"Shut up, Valdez! It's not like that at all! It's just…!" Embarrassing. If it was from Will then it would be embarrassing.

"I always knew you Italians are big on the romance stuff but— "

Jason snorted. "Leo, I'm pretty sure Nico shatters all of the Italian stereotypes."

"_Both_ of you shut up! And give me my phone!"

Nico reached out quickly, fingers grazing the smooth, glass screen and inadvertently waking it up. He felt the blood rushing into his cheeks as both Leo and Jason read the text showing.

**_Hey! I get off at 6 so wanna meet at the library at like 7? Then u can show me that Italian place ur so proud of. ;) PS – I think I met someone that eats McD's more than u. Explain later._**

Leo and Jason turned to look at him. "_Explain_ _now,_" his roommate said with an amused grin.

"Is this the McDonald's guy?" Leo laughed. "You have a _date_ with McLovin' It?"

"Call him that again and see what happens," Nico growled. "I don't have to explain anything to you two."

"What did _I_ do?" Jason whined.

Nico snatched the phone out of Leo's open hand while the other boy nearly cried with laughter. He typed a quick reply, holding the phone out of Leo's intrusive line of sight.

…

At six-forty-five, Nico was already at the library. He wasn't one to be early to things, but somehow he just ended up there. He took a seat in a comfy armchair overlooking the entrance and hoped he didn't look as nervous as he felt. He fidgeted several times, trying to find a nonchalant posture.

He rarely came to the library since words just seem to float right off the pages, but the café inside made it worth the headache. Maybe, if things went well tonight, he'd see if Will would want to meet up there next. He shook himself. No. Focus on date number one before date number two.

He reread his messages and played a few rounds of _The Tower_ on his phone while he waited; getting more and more anxious the longer he sat. He checked the time. It was fifteen after seven. How late did someone have to be for it to be unacceptable? Should he text him? He was so awful at this. He really had no idea what was considered 'proper'.

He scratched his cheek and looked around, beginning to lose hope. He hadn't just been stood up, had he? He'd go straight to that McDonald's and kick Will's lanky ass.

A sudden buzz alerted him to a text. He nearly jumped right off the chair in his rush to view it.

**_Hey, I'm here. :-P_**

Nico glared at his screen and craned his neck to look near the entrance. The library was pretty empty today and Will was nowhere in sight. He frowned.

**_Same. Where are you?_**

He heard a little bell-tone behind him and turned around on a hunch. There was a chair sitting behind his, facing the opposite direction, and Will was sitting in it. Nico let out a relieved sigh and tapped him on the shoulder. Immediately, Will jolted and spun around. "Oh!" Will grinned, placing a hand on his chest. "Hey."

"Hey. How long have you been here?"

Will shrugged. "Like… twenty-five minutes? You?"

Nico sighed. "Same."

"So we seriously sat here for nearly a half-hour waiting. Both of us."

"Yep."

Will snorted. "Well, this date is off to a great start."

Nico tried not to look too excited that Will had actually called this a _date._ He just stood, shoved his hands in his pockets, and nodded in the direction of the door. "Well, let's see if the rest of it works out."

Will smiled wide and copied him. "Lead the way."

The walk was short, but they never fell into an awkward silence. It was easy to carry on a conversation with Will. He seemed to be genuinely interested in just about everything and wasn't shy to list his own hobbies and likes. Nico learned that Will was twenty-one, had wanted to be a doctor for even longer than he could remember, and that, even though he wasn't very good, he liked to play the guitar. Nico offered up a bit about himself, and Will seemed to soak up each word as they went.

"How did you know, by the way?" Nico asked, choosing his words carefully. He stared at the sidewalk while Will gave him a perplexed look.

"Know what?"

"You know that I… That I prefer…" He waved his hands around uselessly. "That I'm…"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Gay?"

Nico sighed. "That."

Will chuckled. "Your friends kind of made it painfully obvious, I'm afraid."

Nico gritted his teeth. "I'm gonna kill them. And here I thought you were oblivious."

"Nah, I thought it was cute. In case you didn't notice, I thought you were so cute that I almost dropped some lady's milkshake all over the place. Oh, is this the place?" Will pointed to a small Italian restaurant ahead and Nico nodded, mute, as he processed the new information.

Will quickly jogged two steps ahead to open the door for Nico, who faltered for a moment before walking in with a smile hidden to himself. He returned the favor at the second set of doors and snorted when Will put a hand over his heart and pretended to look touched.

They were seated quickly at a nice table near the back. The restaurant was lowly lit and the candle in the center was a bit too romantic for Nico's tastes. As he sat down, he wondered if coming here was cliché and predictable. Weren't first dates supposed to be zany, exciting?

His worries were immediately put to rest when Will smiled at him from across the table, taking the offered menu with a quick 'thanks' at the waitress. "Okay. You've been here before, right?" Will opened his menu. "What's good?"

"Everything."

"Okay… what's the _best?"_

Nico pretended to think hard. "Everything."

Will gave him a look that was far too skeptical.

Nico shrugged and opened his own menu. "I guarantee everything here is better than what you sell."

Will raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Very true. But, uh, man, I can barely read any of this stuff. It's all in Italian!"

"Need me to draw a picture?" Nico asked. He meant it as a joke, but when Will lit up and nodded he found himself using a crayon to doodle crudely drawn pasta. "Right, so, castellane looks like this and torchietti looks like that."

"Okay…" Will observed the awful drawings for a few moments before nodding. He sat up and gave Nico a shy smile. "Order for me?"

Nico dropped his head and laughed. "Yeah. Fine."

After they'd relayed their orders to the waitress, who was overjoyed that Nico could speak Italian, and Nico and she finished their quick conversation in the foreign language, she winked at Will and said, "You've got a good boyfriend. Hold onto him tight and never let him go, you hear?"

Will, who had unfortunately been sipping on his Coke, choked and almost spewed soda everywhere. He looked at Nico quickly before turning bright pink and shaking his head at her. "W-we-we're not… I-I mean…!" Nico was just as embarrassed, but the alarmed look on Will's red face was too amusing. The waitress just winked at them again and left. Nico laughed as Will hid his face behind his hand with a wry smile. "That was embarrassing," he muttered.

"Very."

"Okay, let's change the subject, please. Um… okay, so, why America?" Will asked quickly.

Nico shrugged. "Everyone wants to come to America."

Will twisted his mouth in thought. "Really?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean it's just so diverse here."

"We really don't have anything that different from the rest of the world."

"Untrue. You don't see very many McDonald's where I'm from, and even then none of them are like yours."

Will rolled his eyes. "That's a good thing, yanno."

"You've also got, like, Hollywood and NASA."

"Don't forget spirit-crushing capitalism."

"Crappy cars."

"Fortune cookies. They're from New York, you know."

"Cowboys," Nico added, unintentionally looking Will dead in the eyes as he said it. A little blush skirted up Will's face and Nico held up his hands quickly. "I-I, uh, didn't mean that in, like, a dirty way!"

Will smiled and said, in a very soft voice, "I'll keep that in mind."

Nico flushed. Will just kept smiling and sipped his Coke again.

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch. Will slurped up his pasta with little tact but Nico found it endearing. While they ate, Will kept asking him how to say some things in Italian.

"What's 'drink'?"

"_Bevanda."_

"Bavandah. Okay, what about 'food'?"

_"Cibo."_

"Cheeboh. Got it."

Nico didn't correct his pronunciation errors. Will looked far too proud of himself when he asked the waitress for another 'bavandah'. The waitress smiled, gave Nico a sympathetic look, and said she'd be right back.

When it came to the check, both boys reached for it. Will watched him sternly, not letting go. "I've got it."

"No, I brought you here, after all, so I should pay."

"You've spent enough money on fast food this semester. Seriously. My treat."

"I can spend my money however I want." Nico pulled the bill closer to him. "You get the next one."

Will's eyes widened, his grip slackened, and Nico took the opportunity to snatch away the bill completely. When he finished signing for it, Will was smiling at him. "So… there's gonna be a next one?"

Nico's eyes darted to the floor for a moment before flashing back. "Yeah. I mean… if you'd like that."

Will absolutely beamed. "Definitely," he let out in a rush of relieved air.

The walk back was cold and they used that as an excuse to huddle close together. Nico kept his bare hands stuffed in his pockets, mentally wishing he'd played it smart like Will and brought gloves. "Here!" Will said, slipping off one of them and handing it to Nico. "Put this on."

Nico frowned, but did as he was told. "But now your hand is going to be cold."

"Easy fix," Will said and reached over to grab Nico's still-bare hand with his. "There. See?"

Nico smiled. "Clever boy."

Will gave him a cheesy grin.

He was pretty adamant about walking Nico back to his dorm, to which Nico didn't really have any complaints. They didn't talk much, but it wasn't awkward. It almost felt like they'd done this a thousand times already, had known each other much longer. They held hands right up until Nico had to fish out his card to unlock this dorm hallway. When they reached Nico's room, they stopped and the awkwardness quickly caught up to them.

"So, uh… I had a really great time," Will managed.

"Y-yeah. Me too."

Silence.

"I'll text you!" Will blurted out and winced at the sound of his own voice. "I-I mean…" He cleared his throat and, when he spoke again it was in a fake, deep voice and somewhat of a Southern accent, "I'll see you around, cowboy."

Nico wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed, excited, or amused so he settled on shoving Will lightly on the shoulder and laughing. Will took a step closer, breathing an airy laugh, and Nico didn't realize how close together they were until he could feel Will's breath hitting his cheek. Nico's eyes flashed down to his lips and back up, gulping.

"So…" Will started. "How do you say 'kiss me' in Italian?"

_"Baciami,"_ Nico answered immediately. His heart was hammering so loudly in his chest he wondered if Will could hear it.

Will just smiled and leaned in to place a quick chaste kiss on Nico's cheek. "Night, Nico," he whispered.

Nico's hand flew up to hold his own cheek, eyes wide. "Yeah. Bye, Will."

They shared a smile and Nico watched him go. Once Will was out of sight, he unlocked his dorm room door and opened it. The door hit something hard and Nico heard several heavy objects slump over along with groans of pain.

Confused, Nico poked his head in and immediately his mood soured.

Jason, Leo, and Percy were lying on the ground. Jason was holding his chin. Percy was rubbing his head. Leo was moaning and had both hands clamped around his nose. Behind them, Annabeth and Piper were sniggering behind their hands.

"So…" Annabeth chimed. "Date went well, we see."

Nico closed the door again and wondered if it was worth ever coming back.

…

Eventually, his friends got over Nico's thing with the McDonald's employee – but not without first humiliating them both in every plausible situation. Even through all that, Will continued to ask him out.

It was on their third date that Will grabbed his wrist, preventing him from going into his dorm, and pulled him down a little bit. "Sorry, I just didn't want your friends to spy on this," he muttered and, before Nico could ask what he meant by 'this', swooped down to kiss him.

They did the classic stuff – like going to other restaurants and to the movies and had coffee – but they also went on less conventional dates. They went on random shopping sprees throughout New York City, tracked down really strange places and tried them out, and they slipped into a group touring the city. Will dragged him to medical lectures at the university and Nico made Will bring him McDonald's while he was studying. Once, Will even dragged Nico to McDonald's afterhours so they could goof around at the playground. Nico had been expecting some romance, but instead the night had pretty much consisted of him chasing a hysterically-laughing Will through the plastic tunnels.

Luckily, Will lived in a little apartment off-campus so they never had to worry about not getting enough time alone. Nico was pretty sure Will had the comfiest couch in all of New York.

"If you think that's comfy you should try my bed," Will said while waggling his eyebrows in such a ridiculous manner that Nico didn't feel bad about chucking a pillow at him.

When December hit, and Nico found himself staring at final exam study guides, the dread began to settle in. He only had two more weeks left in America. Sure, he sort of missed his family and friends back home, but he was going to miss Jason and Piper and Annabeth and Percy and – God – he was even going to miss Leo's crappy attempts at humor.

And Will.

They hadn't really said anything about Nico's inevitable departure. Nico couldn't find the courage to say the words and he was pretty sure Will felt the same. They were enjoying their time together. They didn't want to ruin what time they had left by fretting over the end.

Yet, with less than fourteen days left in the same country as him, Nico couldn't ignore it any longer.

Unfocused and stressed, Nico abandoned studying for his finals and grabbed his wallet and keys. "Be back later," he said to Jason, who was collapsed over a large mound of open text books. His glasses were askew and he looked as if he was in pain as he clutched several index cards. He grunted in response and Nico left, mood matching the murky grey sky as he walked mechanically.

A bit of snow began to drift down, dusting the frozen ground in white. It was pretty to watch, but Nico missed feeling the warmth of the sun hitting his face, missed the secure feeling he got from back in September when he still had months to waste time quoting movie quotes with Will. By the time he reached the McDonald's, he was miserable.

Will was working his Tuesday shift, standing behind the counter with a cheerful smile on his face as he handed a girl her change. The smile faded when he saw Nico's stony face as he approached. "Hey, babe. What's wrong?"

Nico pretended not to notice the way the girl's eyes bugged out when she overhead Will calling him 'babe'. He also pretended not to notice that Will called him 'babe' at all. Instead, he slumped against the counter and sighed. "I don't want to go."

There was a brief moment of silence then he heard Will give a sigh. "I go on break in ten minutes. Go and wait for me?"

Nico nodded and took a seat at one of the empty booths at the back of the restaurant. A short while later, Will joined him, holding an envelope. "I was gonna wait until after finals to tell you, but… well… Here." He handed him the envelope.

Nico raised an eyebrow and took it. It was addressed to Will, from the university. He extracted the letter inside and began to read aloud. "Dear Mr. William Solace, we are happy to announce that you have been accepted into the study abroad program next fall at…" he trailed off, eyes widening as the words' meanings slowly took root. "W-Will… it says here you're going to VIU."

Will's smile could power a sixty-watt light bulb. "Sure does!"

"As in Venice International University. In Venice. Italy, Venice."

"Yup!"

Nico wasn't sure what the feeling was in his chest, but it was warm and light and overwhelming. "Why does it say you're going to VIU next fall?"

Will chuckled. "That should be obvious, but I'll bite. I have a little extra money to splurge on. I was gonna use it to get a nice car but I figured – hey—why don't I spend my senior year in Italy instead?"

"B-b-but…" Nico looked at the letter and back to Will repeatedly.

Will took his hand. "Are you saying you don't want me to go?"

"No!" Nico blurted quickly. "I… I just… You haven't known me that long! Why would you come to Italy for someone you barely know?"

Will squeezed his hand. "I _do_ know you, Nico. I know we haven't known each other for very long but… but this feels _right,_ Nico. I don't want it to end." He gulped, looking nervous. "Do you?"

"I…" He sighed. "No, I don't want it to end either. I'm just… surprised." He put on a smile. "So… you're actually going to spend a full year in Venice?"

"Yup!" Will lit up and lifted their connected hands to kiss Nico's knuckles. "You can show me the highlights of your country. If you're willing to wait for me."

"Idiot," Nico said fondly. "Of course I will."

…

Saying goodbye was harder than he thought. Jason had to practically pry Leo off of him at the airport. Piper and Annabeth hugged him tightly. Percy made him swear to keep his promise and Oovoo them all regularly. "It's not goodbye," Jason told him. "We're totally gonna visit you for spring break next year. We can crash at your villa, right?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure my father would _love_ to have a bunch of strange American college students sleeping on his floor."

"Awesome!" Jason grinned, the sarcasm flying over his head.

Will walked him as far as security would let him go, holding his hand in a vice-like grip the whole time. "It's just until August," Will kept saying, almost to himself. "Eight months."

"It'll go fast," Nico tried to assure him, but he was barely able to look him in the eye. Eight months sounded like an eternity.

"I'll Skype you," Will promised. "And I'll send you emails and I'll write you actual letters and send you stuff and tag you in Facebook posts and—"

"Will!" Nico cut across him. "I get it."

"Right."

Nico couldn't trust himself to say the actual words so he grabbed either side of Will's collar and pulled him into a kiss until the security guards cleared their throats. He pulled away and, while Will was still dazed, slunk backwards in the direction of the terminal, holding Will's hand until the very last possible moment.

As soon as his plane took off from the American ground, Nico wondered if that warm, light feeling in his chest was love.

...

_Eight Months Later_

_..._

Nico bounced excitedly on his toes, neck craned at a painful angle in an attempt to see over the thick crowd of tourists buzzing through the airport. He kept his phone clutched to his heart, periodically switching between glancing at the screen and the sea of people.

**_Walking out now! Love u!_**

Eight months. He had waited eight months for this moment. He had spent eight months stalking his inbox, loving and hating Skype, and daydreaming of a bright smile. It had been tough. They had fought. They had cried. They had nearly come undone and lost it all, but, somehow, they had persevered and Nico was finally standing in the airport on a hot August day, searching desperately for head of thick blonde hair and tan skin.

His phone buzzed and he looked at it like a starving man staring at a morsel of food.

**_Look left! :)_**

Nico immediately spun around to his left, heart pounding. He frowned as he didn't recognize anyone. His phone went off again.

**_Oops. Other left. :P_**

Nico rolled his eyes before swiveling to his right and his heart leapt up into his throat. Standing a few feet away, suitcases all around his feet, stood Will Solace, looking as wonderful as he had last fall. No, he looked even better. And he was standing _there_ in _Italy_ where he would stay for a full _year._

At once, he barreled himself into Will's waiting arms, wrapping his own around Will's neck with no intention of letting go. Will chuckled and it sounded _so_ much better when Nico could feel it reverberate against his chest and not through a crackling speaker.

Will held him tight, nuzzling his hair with a happy sigh. "Hi."

Nico half laughed and half choked. "Hey."

"I missed you."

"Me too. But you're here now so…"

Will hugged him even tighter. "That's right. Did you shrink?"

Nico hit his arm, but kept his hand there, noting the growth of muscle there. "Idiot. You just got taller."

Will just hummed and went back to hugging him, uncaring of the attention they may have gotten. Nico just clung onto him and mumbled a few things in Italian he wasn't quite ready to say in English just yet. The crowd parted around them, but he didn't even notice. Nothing really mattered as long as he could feel Will's heart beating against his.

Nico wasn't sure what they would do in a year, when they had to separate again, but they had time to figure it all out. For now, he had a city to show off and sights to see and a life to live.

However, their first meal together in Italy was at a very over-priced McDonald's.


	3. How to Say, I Love You

**_I wasn't going to continue this. I wasn't. But… then Ed Sheeran's "All of the Stars" came on and THIS happened… so I might as well post it. It takes place during the eight months they were apart, so it gets a little angsty but, eh. It's happy at the end!_**

* * *

><p><em>Here comes the sun, do-do-do doo<em>

_Here comes the sun, and I say…_

_It's all right._

A hand slid out of the mountain of covers and blindly fumbled with the screen of a cellphone for a few moments before succeeding in turning off the alarm. A couple of drawn-out minutes later, the rest of a boy emerged from the blanket-cocoon.

Will Solace yawned and stretched out, plopping back onto his bed after his neck gave a satisfying _pop._ Immediately, mechanically, his hand found his phone again. He unlocked it and looked in his inbox, smiling when he saw he had one unread email.

**_Morning. Don't forget your chem notes._**

Will checked the time. It was about seven o'clock, which meant it was one o'clock over there. He quickly typed back a reply.

**_Afternoon, babe! :) And psh u have no faith in me. Xoxo_**

Dropping his phone back onto his bed, Will stood up and padded into the bathroom, stifling another yawn. He peered into the mirror, wincing at the foreign dark circles under his eyes. Usually, Will was always pretty well rested and rose with the sun even on weekends. He had just had a late night catching up on homework and his studies. It probably hadn't helped that he'd spent most of his evening Skyping his boyfriend.

He showered quickly, humming along to whatever song came on the radio – even though he barely recognized any of them. By the time he got out and walked back into his bedroom with a towel tied loosely around his waist, he had another email.

**_Don't come crying to me when you fail that class. Check your mailbox. And I mean your actual mailbox._**

Flooding with excitement, Will rushed to get dressed. He couldn't find a clean pair of jeans so he ended up shimmying into a pair that was on the floor. He almost tripped as he stepped into his shoes and thrust his arms into a thick jacket at the same time, grabbing a beanie off of the hook near his door. As he descended the stairs, he answered.

**_My mailbox, hm? Now what could be in there? It's not a puppy… is it?! ;)_**

He pushed open the main door, shivering as the February chill met him at full blast. He was not a winter person. At all. He couldn't wait until he could go back to shorts and t-shirts, and didn't have to bundle up until he could only waddle like a penguin across the lot to where the mailboxes were kept. He didn't know whose bright idea it was to build the mailboxes _outside_. Teeth chattering, he unlocked his and was surprised to see a small package inside. The strange red, white, and blue stamping around the edges and excessive labels gave away its foreign origins. Smiling, Will snatched it up and held it close to his chest the entire way back up to his apartment.

When he was halfway up the stairs, his phone buzzed.

**_It's not an animal, you dolt. Don't miss your class._**

**_I won't, I won't! But first I wanna c what's in this package!_**

He carefully tore off the paper, trying not to rip the neat handwriting scrawled along the top, and slid it off, revealing another thick envelope. He quickly opened it with less patience than he had with the first layer, and dumped the contents onto his coffee table. The first thing that caught his eye was a folded up piece of notebook paper. He lifted it and began to read.

_Will,_

_I took a lot of photos while I was in New York and well… I made some doubles of a few I thought you'd like. Wipe that grin off your face and don't even think about calling me sentimental. I just, uh… Okay, I know it's only been two months and we have a lot of waiting to do but… I miss you. So yeah._

_Shut up,  
>Nico<em>

Will's thumb traced over the cursive writing with a distant, fond smile.

It had been two months since Nico di Angelo left the United States, two months since they said goodbye in a crowded airport, and two months since Will had been accepted to VIU.

Will wasn't entirely sure what drew him to the Italian student. When he had first walked into McDonald's with his entourage of loud friends, it was all he could do to not spill some woman's milkshake all over her shirt. His entire presence had just captivated him. The way his eyes seemed to bore right down to Will's very core, the way he talked with his hands, and the way his smile could put a halt on time itself… and when he had first talked to Will that had been it. The accent had almost killed him.

When Nico kept coming _back,_ Will wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know anything about the exchange student, especially how he would respond to another guy flirting with him. When Leo Valdez started tailing Nico through the restaurant quoting butchered lines from _Romeo and Juliet_ and making kissy noises, however, it started to get clear as to why Nico's gaze always seemed to drift back to him.

When they finally got around to dating, there were really no words to describe the triumph he felt. After their first date at an Italian restaurant, and Will managed to sneak a kiss onto Nico's cheek, he fled like a distraught mother duck, heart racing and face flaring. It was dumb how one guy could reduce Will to acting like a schoolboy who had his first crush, but Nico did. He made him feel so stupid it hurt.

Will shook himself free of his thoughts in favor of studying the collection of photographs sprawled out across the table. He lifted one of them and immediately broke into a grin. It was of Nico and him at Times Square. Will had an arm around Nico's shoulder, his free hand up in a peace-sign, and was beaming up at the camera. Nico was nearly stone-faced, but there was a gentle upward curve to his lips, which said all that Will needed to know.

The second one he saw was by far his favorite. It was a rather grainy picture of Nico trying to hide a smile behind his straw. It was such a familiar sight that it made Will's heart ached. Without thinking, he raised his phone and sent a very simple message.

**_I love you._**

As soon as the message sent, realization set in. His eyes went wide and he felt a bit lightheaded. What had he just done? Neither of them had said that before, scared to take that plunge into deeper waters. But, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. Warmth spread through Will's winter-chilled fingers. He _did_ love Nico so it shouldn't be such a big deal to say so. Right?

Feeling a strange mixture of happiness and loneliness, Will slung his bag over his shoulder and rushed back outside to get to class, periodically refreshing his inbox whenever he had the chance. Nico didn't respond. Will knew Nico had classes of his own, but he still couldn't help the string of anxiety tightening in his gut.

"Phones away," his professor snapped and Will jumped. He hadn't realized the lecture had even started. He mumbled some sort of apology and shoved his phone into his bag, channeling his focus onto what his professor was saying.

By three o'clock, Will was finished with all his classes for the day, and there was still no response from Nico.

_Busy,_ his optimistic brain interjected quickly. _He's just busy._

Another voice, much more pessimistic, said, _Or he doesn't feel the same way and you just scared him off._

Will shook himself. No, Nico was definitely busy.

At five o'clock, Will started his shift at McDonald's. He was horribly distracted the entire night, checking his messages every other minute. He almost burnt himself on the fryer several times. One of his coworkers saved him from dipping his hand into the boiling grease while his attention was transfixed on his phone screen. He dropped some poor lady's meal all over the floor and flushed, apologizing to anyone that would listen.

His boss made him take a break. "Clear your head," she said.

Taking a break was quite possibly the worst thing he could have done. He sat, elbows propped on his knees, bent over, staring desperately at the little spinning circle as it synced for any new messages. There were none.

Around six, a familiar group walked in, laughing and boisterous. "Hi, Will!" Piper McLean called as she approached the counter. Will tried to manage a smile, but it came out more like a pained grimace. Piper frowned. "Jeez, what's with you?"

Will sighed. "It's nothing. Just tired. Uh, what can I get you guys?" As if he didn't already know.

Piper got a salad and water, but she would come back up for a burger later. Jason got two cheeseburgers with shredded lettuce. Percy got a fish sandwich and fries. Annabeth went for a chicken sandwich with no tomatoes. Leo always ordered half the menu.

"Uh, dude?" Leo blinked when Will handed him his tray. "This isn't what I ordered. Like at _all."_

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Leo," he muttered, shaking his head.

After he corrected Leo's order, Piper eventually wandered back up for her burger. "Okay, so what's up with you?"

"What?" Will asked, pausing in the act of tapping the screen in front of him. Piper just raised her eyebrow at him, and Will sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"You're usually the most smiley person on the planet. Right now you look like… well, you sort of look like Nico." Will couldn't help the wince that came with hearing that name. Piper understood in a second. "All right, so what's happening with Nico?"

Will's shoulders sagged. "I…" He looked over to where Jason and the rest were talking, oblivious. He sighed again. "I think I did something dumb."

"Like?"

"Like…" He groaned and hid his face in his hand. "Okay, he sent me these pictures of us together and I got really sappy and happy and I told him I loved him. He hasn't talked to me since."

Piper's eyebrows fell sympathetically. "When did you tell him that?"

"This morning. I mean, I know we don't have to talk _every day_ and everything and our lives are pretty busy, but what if he just doesn't feel the same and I screwed up?"

"Impossible," Piper snorted. "Will, Nico's crazy for you. He always was."

Will flushed. "You're just saying that. Besides, feelings can change. What if… what if we're growing apart already?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "You don't seriously think Nico came in here all those times for _Happy Meals_, do you?" Her smile softened. "You probably just caught him off guard. Talk to him. I guarantee he won't leave you in the dust." She gave him a wink as if she knew something he didn't, took her burger, and walked off.

At eight-thirty, Will was back at his apartment. He shed his thick jacket, gloves, hat, scarf, and snow boots with a frown. He hated winter.

He collapsed onto his bed with a dramatic groan, furrowing underneath the covers with no intention of crawling back out any time soon. Hidden underneath his quilt, the light of his phone screen seemed brighter than usual. His fingers moved across them as he spelt out a new message.

**_Hey. I know ur prob asleep by now but um… I'm sorry if I rushed anything. U don't have to say anything back. Sorry._**

He let the phone drop and buried his face in his pillow. He really didn't expect his phone to buzz just a few minutes later. Immediately, he reached out and unlocked his phone in a heartbeat, feeling uncharacteristically nervous as he opened up his inbox. He could barely breathe when he saw that he had an unread message from Nico.

**_Merda. No. You're fine. I was just surprised. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just… no one's ever said that to me before. I mean, my family has but that's completely different. Crap, I really didn't mean for you to worry. Sorry._**

Will blew out a relieved breath. Nico didn't hate him. He was just as nervous as Will was. And, though it smarted a little that he didn't say it back, he could deal with that.

**_Well, I meant what I said. I love you, Nico. And I really can't wait to c u again :)_**

Feeling immensely better, he let his head plop down to his pillow and shut his eyes. He was exhausted. Even without the extra emotional stress that came with a long-distance relationship, between his studies and work, he was more often than not drained by the end of the day. He set an alarm for thirty minutes and decided to take a little nap before starting on his homework.

Just as he fell asleep, his phone lit up again with a new message that would be waiting for him when he woke up.

**_…Ti amo._**

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, this might be a collection of one-shots now that all pertain to this AU? I dunno! What do you think?_**


	4. Thanksgiving in Venice

**_A/N: Okay so from here out, this is just a series of one-shots all in this AU. They're going to be in a non-linear order, just so you know. I'll always let you know where we're at, though._**

**_This one's set shortly after Will comes to Italy. :3_**

* * *

><p><em>September<em>

Nico could feel Will's eyes on him. As he led them through the bustling streets of Venice with his hand clamped tight around Will's wrist, he could feel the burn of Will's stare boring into the back of his head. He squeezed Will's wrist as they ducked into a café in an attempt to escape the heavy rain.

"Does it do this a lot here?" Will asked grumpily as he shook his hair free of droplets.

"It's not uncommon, I guess?" Nico shrugged and tried not to feel too disappointed that Will's hand slipped out from his. He stuck his own in his pockets, definitely not pouting. It had been nearly a full two weeks since Will had come to Italy, and between their respective classes and extra-curricular activities, Nico hadn't nearly gotten enough time alone with his boyfriend. He huffed and followed Will toward the counter, both annoyed and amused how the American was gaping at every inch of the place as if they were in a museum and not a simply café.

"What do I want?" Will asked, staring up at the menu blankly.

"How should I know?"

"You can speak fluent Italian! I only know the basics, man." Will huffed. "What's the closest thing to a hot chocolate?"

Nico frowned. "I guess that would be _cioccolata calda,_ but it might be different than what you're used to."

Will snorted. "I'm sure I can handle it! Uh, order for me, though?"

Nico was used to being the mediator between Will and the rest of the country. Will had been taking Italian for two semesters, but he wasn't exactly confident in his abilities to step into a conversation alone just yet. Usually, it meant that whenever Will needed to go shopping or run errands he took Nico and clung to him. While Nico didn't particularly mind the sunny blonde depending on him, he really wanted to do something other than sight-seeing and sharing their dates with the public eye.

He'd been in Will's dorm a few times, but that was just to help the American move in or to pick him up. He really wanted to just put on a crappy movie and curl up on the couch, relax and just enjoy his boyfriend's presence. But Will was dazzled by every aspect of Venice, from the towering architecture to the buzzing city life to the cracks in the roads.

Sighing, Nico ordered for the both of them and paid despite Will's protests. A few minutes later, Nico brought two mugs over to where Will had sat down, looking out the window with a frown. He set one down in front of Will and sat across from him. "I thought it was supposed to be warm and sunny in Venice," Will mumbled.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Weather changes here just like it does everywhere else. Now here." He passed Will a spoon. "Try it."

"What do I need a spoon for?"

"Like I said it might be a little different than what you're used to." Raising an eyebrow, Will did as he was told and scooped up a bit of whipped cream before popping the spoon into his mouth. Nico snorted. "Don't just get the cream," he said and took a spoonful of his own.

Will took a second bite and lit up. "Whoa, that's good. But weird. Is it pudding?"

Nico shrugged. "It's kind of in between being a drink and a dessert."

"Well, whatever it is, it's amazing."

They sat and talked until the rain cleared up a bit then made their way back to Will's dorm on the opposite side of town. Nico was exhausted by the time they made it there. Will was a ball of energy. Anytime he seemed tired he would sit for a few minutes and then be back on his feet, renewed.

"So…" Will drawled as they approached his dorm room. "My roommate is on a tour all weekend." He glanced at Nico with a smirk.

Nico caught his drift immediately. "Yeah?"

"Mmhm. Wanna come in for a little bit?"

A half-nervous, half-excited jolt ran through Nico but he nodded quickly. "That sounds… nice."

Will grinned and pulled him in. It was exactly how Nico pictured it. They put on a random movie, snuggled up on Will's bed, and Nico could hear the patter of the rain hitting the window. He sighed happily as Will's arm pulled him closer. Even though he was more relaxed than he had been all day, his heart was pounding. He really hoped Will wouldn't notice, but when he rested his head on the blonde's chest he realized that they were in the same boat.

"I don't know how you managed to be so cool and collected last year," Will said with a yawn. Nico raised his head to look at him. "Yanno, in America. Didn't you miss home?"

Nico shrugged. "I guess. I had a lot of distractions, I guess."

"I'll take credit for that." Will kissed his hair.

Nico frowned. "Do _you_ miss home?" Will hadn't even been here a month yet. Was he already getting bored of him?

Will hummed. "I miss certain things. Like I'm gonna miss out on Thanksgiving. I know you guys don't celebrate it here but…" He yawned again. "It's one of my favorite holidays."

"You say that about every holiday," Nico said, running a hand through Will's hair as the other boy let his eyes shut sleepily. He hesitated before asking, "Would you… would you want to celebrate it here?" As a response, he heard a small snore. Will had fallen asleep, face tucked into the crook of Nico's neck.

Nico sighed and patted his head awkwardly.

…

_November_

"Right, so, what exactly is Thanksgiving again?" Bianca asked as they entered the grocery store. She raised an eyebrow at the shopping list. "I mean I've heard of it but do we really need all this?"

Nico shrugged, grabbing a cart. "Don't know. Last year I went to my roommate's house for it and they said it was all about being grateful or whatever. They really just ate."

"_All_ of this?" Bianca gasped, shaking the list at his face.

Nico slapped it away. "Yeah, all of it."

"A whole turkey, peas, potatoes, cranberries, celery, bread, butter, pie crust, pumpkins…" She shook her head. "That's not even half the list. How are we going to carry all of this home?"

"Dad let us use his chauffer."

"Jules-Albert? Oh, God. Why can't you have your boyfriend help us? It's his dumb holiday."

"Because he hates when people make a fuss over him," Nico muttered, glaring at two different cans of cranberries and their respective prices.

"But you're going to do it anyways?"

"That's right." Nico tossed a can into the cart and sighed. "I want to surprise him. And we're going to do all of the cooking from scratch!"

"Go big or go home, I guess. Is Dad going to be there?"

"I told him about it but I believe his exact words were, 'I'll see what I can do'."

"So… no."

"You'll be there, though, right? I invited Hazel and Frank, too. Figured to get as much of the family together while I'm at it."

Bianca grinned and leaned her elbows against the cart. "You're enjoying this."

Nico snorted. "Am not."

"Are too! Look at you, you're practically giddy!"

"Shut up!" Nico snapped, stomping off to find some peas.

Bianca followed him, laughing. "Aw, Nico! I'll be there if it means that much to you!"

"It doesn't!"

"It so does!"

He chose to ignore her. He focused on just getting everything on the list and what Will's reaction would be when he sat down for a proper Thanksgiving meal.

…

"Hurry up," Nico called into Will's dorm, knocking on the door impatiently.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Will's voice drifted out. Nico heard a muffled crash from inside that was quickly followed by a groan. A few moments later, Will opened the door, muttering curses and rubbing his chin.

"What did you do?" Nico snorted, reaching up to pull Will's chin in the light a bit.

"Tripped on my slippers," he mumbled.

"Only you." Nico pulled back, hands in pockets. "Are you ready to go?"

"Does this sweater look all right?" Will asked nervously, pulling on the hem to show off the thick, dark blue sweater he wore.

Nico's eyes trailed up Will's chest and arms appreciatively with a raised eyebrow. "Since when do you care how you look?"

"Since you invited me to have dinner with your family for the first time!" Will shouted, running a hand through his hair, which looked as though it had been gelled back. He gasped, fled to the mirror hanging above his dresser with a grimace, and started to carefully part his hair to one side again.

"Will, we're just going to my house."

"I have to make a good impression!"

"You've already met my family."

"Yeah, but they're _all_ gonna be there! Watching!"

Nico rolled his eyes at his boyfriend as he stepped over, dodging a pair of duck slippers, and pulled Will's hand away from his hair. "You look fine," he muttered and reached up to ruffle Will's hair until it was back to its usual messy state. "You always do."

Will smiled sheepishly, a pleased red tint on his cheeks. "Ah… well…"

Nico scoffed and rolled up to his tiptoes to push a quick kiss to Will's red chin. "We need to go now or we'll be late. I went to a lot of trouble for tonight and I'll be damned if your hair is going to ruin it."

Will chuckled, hands resting on his sides. "Yeah, just a second."

Whatever complaint Nico had was stifled beneath Will's lips and any resolve to get Will's butt in gear was flushed out by a warm, tingly feeling. When Will eventually pulled away, looking smug, it took a few moments for Nico's thoughts to drift back to him. "Satisfied?" he muttered.

Will grinned cheekily. "For now."

Nico slapped him on the shoulder. "_Idiota."_

"Oh, I love it when you insult me in Italian," Will said sarcastically as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Just get your coat."

Will saluted him, grabbed it off the hook, and they were off. When they made it outside, Will put his hands in his pockets and somehow, habitually, Nico's hand wound around Will's elbow as they walked. "Is your dad gonna be there the whole time?" Will asked and Nico could hear the anxiety in his voice.

Nico shrugged. "I'll be surprised if he shows up at all, to be honest."

Will relaxed. "Oh. Okay."

"He's not _that_ scary."

"You're just used to it!" Will huffed. "I swear, when he looks at me, it's like he's judging my very _soul."_

Nico choked on a laugh. "Don't worry. I won't let him try anything."

"How do you say 'hero' in Italian?"

_"Eroe."_

"_Mio eroe!"_ Will grinned.

He hid his smile in his collar as his hand slid down to tangle with Will's.

…

"I smell something good," Will hummed, wringing his hands together as Nico let him in.

"It better," he said as he closed the door behind them. "I slaved over it all damn day."

"I'm sure it'll taste just as good, too," Will said, kissing Nico's cheek before taking off his jacket and hanging it up.

"Shoes off," Nico reminded him as he kicked off his own and padded into the living room, calling for his sister. "Bi! Will's here!"

"_Ciao,_ Will!" Bianca shouted from the kitchen, sounding anxious. "Uh, Nico? Can I see you in here for a minute?"

Nico glared at Will over his shoulder and pointed at the couch. "Sit. Stay."

"Woof," Will responded, but obeyed as Nico hurried to the kitchen.

"What's…?" His voice trailed off as he gaped in horror at the state of the kitchen. "What did you _do?"_

"I… I was heating up the gravy on the stove!" Bianca said, dazed. "Next thing I know… _boom!"_ She gestured towards the mess all over the stove, cupboards, and wall. Nico followed her gaze up to the ceiling and started to chuckle. "It's not funny!" she huffed.

"How did it get on the _ceiling?"_ He snorted. "Seriously, even _you_ couldn't mess up that badly!"

Bianca flicked some gravy on him.

"Nice." He grabbed a tea towel and wiped it off. "It's just the gravy, though. We have more of it and tons of other food so don't wor—"

The oven made a strange hissing noise and a bit of smoke started drifting out the vent.

Nico pointed at Bianca. "You." He pointed to the door. "Couch."

Bianca huffed, untied the apron off of her waist, and thrust it into his arms before stomping out, heels clicking against the floor, and walking into the living room. "Hi, Will," Nico heard her say.

"Hey, Bianca. Did you get banished to the couch, too?"

"Yeah. Nico's pretty strict when it comes to his kitchen."

"I see. Uh, you have a bit of gravy in your hair."

Nico didn't pay them much attention after that. He just rolled up his sleeves and got to work on saving dinner. He wasn't about to let anything, including Bianca's negligence ruin Will's Thanksgiving, especially once he had gotten this far.

He was tending to the turkey when he heard the doorbell. "BI!" he shouted.

"Got it!" she answered and a few moments later he heard Hazel and Frank's voices exchange greetings.

"Where's Nico?" Hazel asked loudly, as if expecting him to crawl out from nowhere.

"At his battle station," Bianca said.

"Is Dad coming?"

"He said that Persephone and he would try to show up for dinner but that's debatable."

Nico put the turkey back into the oven, hoping he was cooking it correctly, and sighed. He stood up and turned, making to take off the ridiculous periwinkle oven mitts off, when he found himself blinking at a firm chest.

"You're wearing an apron," Will laughed out.

Nico flushed. "I told you to stay on the couch," he grumbled, looking at his shoes.

Will toyed with the strings on the apron Nico had around his waist. "You're wearing a purple apron," he sniggered.

"It's periwinkle," came Nico's stupid response and he smacked himself in the head with the matching oven mitts as Will held his sides and laughed.

"I just came in to see if I could help." Will wiped merry tears out of his eyes.

Nico was all too aware of the obvious ingredients sitting around his kitchen. He tried to steer Will back out of the kitchen, muttering a mixture of threats and excuses, but Will was like a brick wall. Nico's ears heated up when Will's attention was caught by the various things on the counter. "Wow, you're really going all out, aren't you?" Will whistled. "Is that turkey? Man, I…" He trailed off. "Wait… what's today again?"

Nico crossed his arms and scowled. "I wanted to surprise you, _idiota."_

"Surprise…?"

Nico shrugged. "Happy Thanksgiving, I guess." Will's stare made him feel uncomfortable. He fidgeted from foot to foot while Will just gaped at him. "Look, if you don't want to celebrate then—" he broke off when Will pulled him into a tight hug.

"Love you," Will said into his hair. "Really, you didn't have to go to all this trouble just for me."

Nico huffed but returned the hug. "What makes you think it was all for you?" It was a weak attempt at a bluff and they both knew it.

Will pulled back, beaming, and squeezed his hands. "You know, I help my mom out with the cooking and stuff. I can help."

Nico made to protest, state that he didn't need Will teasing him for acting like a housewife, but then he broke into a grin and untied the apron. He threw it at Will, who caught it with raised eyebrows. "Start chopping the potatoes, will you?"

Will tied the apron on and struck a pose. "How do I look?"

Nico broke into laughter. "Like I said earlier, you always look good."

…

After dinner had been served and eaten, and none of them could take another bite of pumpkin pie, they took to the living room to talk. Will smiled down at Nico, who had his head on Will's lap and was fast asleep. He kept his hand on the top of Nico's head, rubbing gentle circles to his scalp.

"Here," Hazel said, handing Will a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Will said gratefully and took a sip, impressed when it was exactly how he took it.

Hazel sat down on the coffee table across from him and smiled down at Nico. "Looks like he tuckered himself out, huh?"

Will grinned. "Yeah." Nico had definitely put his all into making it as authentic of a Thanksgiving as possible. Just as they finished setting all of the food on the table, Nico's father and stepmother arrived. Will's nerves had immediately been stirred, but were quelled immediately by his boyfriend.

Nico had marched right up to his parents and started nagging them both for being late, which led to the funniest fight Will had ever seen. Nico, Bianca, and their parents were all yelling in Italian, making wild gestures that left Will with an inkling of the types of insults that were being exchanged. However, when they all finally sat down, Will could see the upwards tilt to Nico's lips and just how very pleased he was to have everyone together.

Thankfully, Nico's father and stepmother didn't stick around for long. They let the kids enjoy the rest of the night, which consisted mainly of board games, Christmas music, and auctioning off the remaining desserts. Bianca and Hazel told a lot of embarrassing stories about Nico from when he was younger, and Nico barked at them to shut up until he was blue in the face.

Eventually, things had calmed down, and they discovered that _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ was playing on television. It was a bit strange to be watching it dubbed in Italian but Will had seen the movie enough times with his siblings so it wasn't too bad. Nico had sat next to him and, as the movie progressed, Nico slumped farther and farther into Will, until it led to where he was now, using Will's thighs as a pillow.

"Well, you survived one family get together," Hazel said, looking over to where her boyfriend and Bianca were preparing leftovers. She smiled. "What do you think? Ready to run yet?"

Will chuckled and shook his head. "It was fun. I think I'm finally starting to get used to this family's sense of humor." It had been a bit unsettling, at first, when he heard the di Angelos yell imaginative death threats at each other, but he knew now it was all in good fun and none of the words were really meant.

Nico gave a sigh in his sleep and nuzzled closer to Will, bringing his knees up to curl into a ball. Will started to run his fingers through his dark hair again with a fond smile, thinking about how much Nico had done for him, not just that day but over the last year they had known each other.

Will snorted. "I can't wait to see what he has planned for Christmas."

Hazel shook her head. "Let's see… usually, Bianca forces Dad into a Santa suit and Nico and Persephone get really drunk on wine and start caroling."

Will laughed loudly, slapping a hand around his mouth when Nico gave a disgruntled huff. Hazel giggled and stood, patting Nico on the head before going up to do the same for Will. "I should probably get Frank and go. We have class tomorrow still."

"Right," Will said. "It was nice seeing you again."

"You, too. Oh, and Will?"

Will tilted his head back. "Yeah?"

"Nico's my brother, and I know he's a pain in the neck sometimes." Hazel smiled "But he really likes you. Just be good to him, all right?"

Will flushed. "U-uh… yeah. Yeah, of course!"

As Hazel went to go collect her boyfriend and her share of the leftovers, Will turned his attention back to the sleepy Italian sprawled across his lap. He took a sip of his coffee, feeling overly relaxed.

He was grateful that Nico di Angelo had found his way into that godforsaken McDonald's that Will had been wasting away in, and even more so that he got to call him his boyfriend.

_"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,"_ the radio crackled.

Will took another deep drink of coffee and started to hum along, content to sit there all night and enjoy the feeling of having a whole new family.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: You butter believe that I'm bringing Bianca into this alive and well. Also, Hazel is still Nico's half-sister, but the details of that will be explained in a later story._**

**_Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow Americans! Enjoy your football, turkeys, and Black Friday preparations! To anyone that doesn't celebrate, have an awesome day and please excuse us Americans as we post ridiculous amounts of pics of pumpin pie. :)_**


	5. Friday Night Fever

**_A/N: For PoisonBones :3_**

**_America fic!_**

* * *

><p>Nico stepped into the McDonald's with his backpack slumped over his shoulder. Stupid professors assigning him a paper due Monday. As if he didn't have enough to do already.<p>

'Enough' pretty much referred to the blonde standing behind the counter in the visor. He immediately marched towards him, ready to rant about his idiotic teachers over a milkshake.

They had planned to spend all weekend together, a sort of romantic getaway from schoolwork. Will still had work, but at least they would have the apartment all to themselves. Will's roommates had gone home for the weekend and they'd leapt at the chance. Nico had never stayed over at his apartment yet and he was excited to finally be able to act like a real couple. But then Dr. Chiron decided to throw a surprise paper at him on the differences between Greek and Roman warfare strategies. Nico could care less about ancient, dead civilizations when he had a very lively boyfriend waiting for him.

"You won't believe what my Ancient Civ prof did," Nico complained as soon as he approached Will, casually throwing his bag on the counter like he lived there. He practically did most days. Thankfully, it wasn't busy in the slightest so Nico didn't have to worry about other customers giving him lip for holding up the line.

Will, who was stocking cups, turned around to face him, and Nico recoiled. "What happened?" Will asked in a groggy, stiff voice. His face was pale and flushed, eyes a bit swollen and watery, and his nose was red. His eyes were lacking that boyish charm that made Nico stare at him for hours. Will sniffled delicately and Nico's concerns immediately went to him.

"What happened to _you?"_ Nico frowned. "You look awful."

Will chuckled. "Gee. Thanks, babe."

"You know what I mean." He crossed his arms. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, 'm okay!" Will slurred, waving him off with what Nico assumed was supposed to be a reassuring shrug.

"You don't look or sound okay."

"It'z jus' a bit of allergies. 'M fine!" Will tried to smile reassuringly. "Totally ready for our weekend alone!" Will probably meant to look charming, but his hand slipped off the counter and he nearly smacked his face off the register instead.

Nico was torn between laughing and telling him off, but instead he just reached over and placed his palm flat against Will's forehead. "You're burning up!" he scolded, hands immediately on his hips. "Will!"

"What?" Will whined, straightening up with a huff. "I feel _fine, Dad!"_

"How long have you had that fever?"

"I don't… not long…"

"Will," Nico hissed warningly.

His shoulders slumped. "This morning. I took some ibuprofen and hoped it would go away by now but…"

"You idiot," Nico growled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Will pouted. "Cuz you'd yell at me."

"Damn straight." He huffed. "When's your shift over? Go tell your manager you're leaving early."

"What?" Will went even paler. "Have you even _met_ my manager? She'd cook you alive just for saying that! She runs a tight ship, man!"

Nico remained firm. "So do I. Who would you rather have on your bad side?"

Will glanced behind him and back. Nico could practically see him weighing the options on other side before he seemed to make a decision and sighed. "Be right back," he muttered and trudged into the back.

Grinning victoriously, Nico put his backpack on and zipped up his jacket. A little bit of manipulation in a relationship never hurt anybody. He waited at his usual booth for Will to stumble out. It didn't take long for Will to show up, already in his coat and looking defeated. "She yelled at me for coming in at all," he sniffled.

"Well, that's what you get."

"Mean."

Nico rolled his eyes and took Will's elbow, gently leading him out the restaurant and into the chilly air. "Don't you have a scarf?" Nico scolded, already unwrapping the one around his neck and draping it over Will's.

Will was strangely quiet during their walk. Every once in a while, Nico would miss a turn or stop and blink at a street sign in confusion and Will would tentatively mutter directions under his breath. "I know where I'm going!" Nico would stammer, cheeks pink, and started tugging Will down the sidewalk.

"Course you do," Will chuckled before erupting into coughs.

Nico grimaced and pulled him along faster. When they made it to Will's apartment, Nico fished the keys out of Will's jacket and unlocked it before guiding Will inside. "Pre-med, my ass." Nico pointed to the couch. "Sit down. Don't throw up."

Will rolled his eyes. "Oh, I feel better already."

"Shut it."

Will leaned over and pushed a kiss to the top of Nico's head. "Look, it's just a cold. I'm going to go put some jammies on and take some Nyquil and I'll be fine."

Nico hesitated. "Maybe… maybe blow your nose, too."

A horrified look overcame Will as he slapped a hand over his nose and scurried away. "For real? Ugh, Nico, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Nico shook his head, trying to dispel the smile on his face as Will disappeared into the bedroom. A few moments later, he heard Will begin to cough again. He frowned. There had to be something more he could do. What did people do when their boyfriends were sick? He briefly considered texting someone for help but immediately dismissed the idea. Percy and Jason would be just as clueless, Annabeth would give him a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo that he didn't understand, and he really didn't need another one of Leo's innuendos. No, he could take care of Will just fine on his own.

He went into the bathroom, digging through the medicine cabinet for any sort of cold medicine. Will actually didn't have Nyquil, but he had Dayquil. Did it make a difference? Was it bad to take _Day-_quil at night? For all Nico knew, there were some sort of harmful chemicals that interfered with sleep-schedules and he could be poisoning Will. He put the Dayquil back onto the shelf worriedly and found some tablets of Alka-Seltzer. He grabbed the box and started reading.

_"For severe cough, mucus, and congestion,"_ he muttered and frowned again. What qualified as _severe?_ What if he overmedicated? Was that possible? "Ugh." Nico hit his head off of the cabinet door. Why was he stressing over this so much?

"Nico?" Will appeared at the door. He was dressed in sweatpants, an overlarge hoodie, and too-bright socks. "What'cha doing?"

"Uh," was Nico's intelligent response.

Will came closer and looked into the medicine cabinet. He grabbed the Alka-Seltzer seemingly without though. "Thank God these things come in pill form now," he said as he tore open the package. "I always hated when my mom would make me drink a whole glass while the thing was still fizzing. Nasty."

"Is that all right to take?" Nico asked quickly, pointing at the pill. "I mean, it says for _severe_ cough."

Will snorted. "It's fine."

Nico glanced away when he felt his cheeks heating up. "All right," he muttered and walked out of the bathroom. Okay, so Will got the medicine. What else could he do? He looked into the kitchen. Cook. He could cook. "Are you hungry?" he called over his shoulder.

"Hm?" Will poked his head out.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

Will grimaced. "Oh, uh. I don't know. Stomach's kinda queasy."

Nico nodded. "Still… have you eaten anything at all today?"

"I, uh, had some apple slices at work?"

He sighed. "Sit down. I'll see if there's anything you can eat."

He searched through the kitchen cabinets and the fridge, but found only the typical college dietetics - Doritos, popcorn, soda cans, pizza rolls, etc. Nico glanced at the packaging and blanched. Could pizza rolls go bad? Nico made a mental note to take Will grocery shopping when he felt better. Did he eat that sort of crap on a daily basis? No wonder he was ill.

"Will, your kitchen sucks!" he shouted and heard Will chuckle.

"I know. I don't really have the time to keep it stocked."

Nico hummed. He wasn't about to let Will eat stale chips and freezer-burn for dinner. His stomach would upchuck that in two minutes flat. He dug through the cupboards again. What was even all right for someone with an upset stomach to eat? Toast? Ginger Ale? He remembered his sister giving him soup when he had gotten the flu last winter but the only cans Nico found in Will's kitchen were full of expired pie-filling. He could go get some. Though, he had no idea how to get to the nearest supermarket from here. He couldn't even drive.

Again, he thought about phoning for help, but that would be admitting defeat and he really didn't want his friends mucking up their weekend. After all, even though Will was hacking up a lung and a half in the living room, they were still _together._

In the end, he found some bread and shoved it into a toaster. It got stuck in the slots and a heavy burnt smell filled the air so Nico had to unplug it and fish it out with a fork. He probably put too much jam on it, but hopefully that would cover up the burnt taste.

_"Boun appetito,"_ he muttered and dropped the plate onto the coffee table.

Will picked up a piece and scrutinized it, turning it in all different directions. "Did you toast it or use a flamethrower?"

Nico sat down beside him, arms crossed and nose in the air. "If you don't want it then don't eat it."

Will frowned, looked at the horribly burnt toast and back at Nico a few times, and gave a long-suffering sigh. He nibbled at the edge. "Ugh. I think that jelly is bad."

Nico threw his hands up in surrender. "You're supposed to be the healthy one! What happened to the four food groups?" He glared. "And you called _McDonald's_ bad!"

"Actually," Will swallowed his bite, "there are _five_ food groups. And between work and school and meeting up with you I don't really have a lot of time. Also, McDonald's _is_ _way_ worse than this. You have to pay for your stomach virus there." He winked and held up his burnt toast. "This is free!"

Nico wanted to smack him, as disparaging Nico's cooking was beyond unwise, but Will gave a sniffle and his resolve faltered. He couldn't inflict pain on someone that was already miserable. He looked away angrily, glaring at the television.

"Oh, come on! I didn't mean it like that!" Will whined. "You're an awesome cook! It's my American appliances. They can't keep up with your Italian talent."

If anyone else had said that, Nico would have punched them in the balls. But, it was Will and he was sick so Nico relaxed back into the couch and let Will wrap an arm around him. "Damn right," he muttered.

Will laughed, though it sounded hoarse and raspy. "So much for our romantic weekend, huh?" He sighed. "I'm sorry. This wasn't exactly what I was picturing."

Nico snorted. "And what were you picturing?"

"Candles, a real dinner, Netflix." Will shrugged with a lopsided grin. "You know. The classics."

A smile cracked Nico's stony features. He tried to hide it. "Netflix? How thoughtful."

Will laughed again. "Babe, if I could I would watch every single movie on there if it meant being with you." Well that was… actually quite sweet. He opened his mouth to say something nice back, but Will continued, "Though… I'd pop the popcorn. Apparently, someone likes to burn things," he taunted, dancing the charred toast in front of Nico's face.

"Oh, you sweet talker, you," Nico replied dryly.

Will grinned. "You know it." He leaned back, taking another bite of his toast with a loud _crunch._ "So, what now?"

Nico looked at him.

"Like… we could watch a movie or you could just go or—"

Nico frowned. "Do you want me to go?"

"What? No!" Will pouted. "I didn't mean it like that! I just… I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to. I know I'm not exactly an eye-catcher right now."

Nico shook his head. "You're more of an eye-catcher than you think," he mumbled before realizing it then blushed at his confession.

Will just smiled. "Right back at ya. But just forget about what I said. Stay. Please!" He emphasized his point by wrapped his arms around Nico and squeezing him tightly, holding him to his chest. Nico growled and tried to break free, but Will's cold hadn't affected his stubborn strength at all.

"All right, fine! Fine! Just let me breath, will you?"

Will released him. "Sorry. We can still watch some movies and cuddle?"

Nico took in a sharp breath and glared at him. "You're such a kid," he accused before settling back along Will's side. "I get to pick what we watch first."

"Yessir!"

By midnight, Nico was fighting to keep his eyes open. Will had drifted off, using Nico's shoulder as a pillow as he snored softly. Nico moved his hand from Will's head to the controller and, after fiddling with it for a few minutes, managed to turn everything off. "Hey," Nico whispered, gently shaking his boyfriend, "Will. Wake up."

"Hnn?" Will opened his eyes. "Whatisit?"

"Movie's over. Come on. Time for bed."

Will nuzzled Nico's neck before agreeing. Nico tried to help him up but Will just waved him away. "I'm all right!" he yawned out, rubbing the back of his head. "Man, your shoulder is pointy."

Nico huffed but followed Will into his room. Will immediately fell into bed face-first, groaning into his pillow. Nico had enough sense left to change into his pajamas he'd brought along. As he sat down on the bed, he felt a twinge of disappointment. He hadn't taken very good care of Will at all. He wanted to be one of those kind and caring boyfriends that could turn any bad thing into a good situation, but he'd just complained and fed Will burnt toast. Not very caring of him.

Sighing, he lay down beside Will, wondering why Will put up with him at all. He was surprised when Will immediately curled into him, wrapping an arm around his chest and abandoning his pillow in favor of Nico's shoulder. "I thought it was pointy," he said softly.

Will chuckled. "I still like it." He yawned again. "Thanks for staying," he slurred sleepily.

Warmth spread through Nico. He was thankful the dark could conceal his goofy grin as he pulled Will closer. Perhaps he hadn't been as useless as he'd thought.

Swiftly, he ducked down and kissed Will goodnight. Will lurched away, covering his mouth with his hand. "Germs," he complained, voice muffled.

Nico scoffed and knocked away Will's hand. "I don't care if you have a cold or bad breath or freaking laryngitis. I'll kiss you whenever I want."

Will smiled. "No complaints here," he said and Nico met his lips again.

Perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise when they both woke up feeling awful, but it was worth it just by being able to pass each other tissues while snuggled up on the couch watching old reruns of sitcoms.

Moreover, Nico's illness earned him an extra day for his paper.


	6. Boun Natale

**_Eight Months fic!_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Get on Skype! :-P<em>**

**_What's the magic word?_**

**_NOW!_**

**_Add another tally to the amount of punches I owe you when I see you next._**

**_XoXOxO_**

The moment a little green light appeared next to Nico's profile, Will hastened to start a chat, nearly bouncing in his seat with excitement. As usual, it took a few minutes for the connection to stick and the image to filter into view. But then there was Nico, wrapped up in a cozy afghan and looking adorable in an overlarge plaid shirt.

Upon taking in Will's appearance, Nico let out a single loud shout of laughter, covering his mouth to hide it. _"WHAT are you wearing?"_

Will grinned victoriously and straightened out his fake beard. "I'm Santa!"

Nico burst into laughter again, still trying to hide it behind both hands. _"Y-you look so ridiculous!"_

Will was just happy his plan had worked. Getting Nico to laugh – fully, heartily laugh – should become an Olympic sport. Will was certain he'd _at least_ get the bronze medal and wear it proudly. He'd missed the sound desperately over the last month and, even though they still had over seven months to go, Will thought he would be able to through it if he could always get Nico to laugh like that. "I wore this to work, yanno!" he huffed in a faux-offended tone.

Nico cracked up even harder, falling forward to let his head smack against the keyboard. _"Wh-why would you…?"_

"C'mon, now," Will drawled out and waited for Nico to raise his gaze. Then Will kicked up the charm. He leaned one elbow on the table, cocked a suggestive eyebrow, and winked. "Tell Santa whether you've been _naughty_ or _nice!"_

He had hoped the conversation would have taken a much more romantic route, but he hadn't expected Nico to let out a loud howl of laughter and quite literally fall out of his chair. Will winced at the sound of his boyfriend crashing onto the floor, chortling the whole time, and blushed.

"I'm being serious!" he called to him.

_"O-oh! Will, stop it! I can't b-breathe!"_

Will shook his head with a fond smile as his boyfriend climbed back into his chair, wiping at his eyes with the overly long sleeves of his plaid shirt that looked awfully familiar. Will gaped at him. "Is that _my_ shirt?"

Nico turned a deep shade of red and glanced down at himself before hugging his arms protectively. _"S-so? You have one of my hoodies!"_

"Yeah, but you have a hundred of those! That was my favorite shirt!" Will pouted. "I thought I'd lost it!"

_"You want me to mail it back to you?"_

Will sighed and shook his head. "No. It looks better on you anyways. But I _will_ come and get it."

Nico smiled and leaned back in his chair. _"All right then. So… how exactly do you gauge whether someone's been naughty or nice, Mr. Claus?"_

Oh, that was definitely more like it. Will put a finger on his chin in mock thought. "Hm… well, you stole my shirt so that definitely steers you more towards the naughty list." He nodded authoritatively. "Then, of course, there's the matter of the other thing you stole."

Nico glared. _"Other thing? What other thing?"_

Will gasped, splaying a hand across his heart like he'd been shot. "Do you really not know?"

_"Know what? What are you accusing me of stealing?"_

He batted his eyelashes at him and stuck out his bottom lip in the failsafe way he knew would make Nico flustered. "My heart."

Nico stared at him for a few moments then guffawed, holding his sides as he nearly cried with laughter.

Will's face heated up. "H-hey! That was some serious romance! Quit laughing!"

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" _Nico held his hands up in surrender, unable to quell the humor in his voice. _"Just… just take off the beard! Please!"_

Will rolled his eyes. "Well, I would if I could, sweetheart," he said before becoming abruptly serious and staring Nico dead in the eyes. "But it's real."

Nico gave that adorable snort again, ducking out of the camera in embarrassment. _"Dio mio,_ _Will, just take it off! I can't take it!"_

Will blew out a sigh but did as he was told. "All right, all right! Better?"

Nico peeked into view again, cautiously gauging Will's appearance, before letting his full face be seen. _"Much."_

"I didn't know beards got you going so much!" Will winked. "Maybe I should grow my own."

_"Oh, God, please don't."_ Nico wrinkled his nose. _"I prefer my doctors clean-shaven, thank you."_

Will snorted and ran a hand along his cheek. "It _is_ baby-smooth."

Nico shook his head in a "Why me?" gesture. _"Anyways, did you get my present yet?"_

"OH, right!" Will grinned. "It just came today! I was gonna wait to open it until you got the one I sent you."

Nico nodded. _"I got it today, too, but I figured you would want to open them together."_

He rolled his eyes. "Sure. Right. _I_ wanted to."

_"Shut up, Solace."_

"Hold up. Lemme go grab it!" He rocketed out of his chair and searched around his messy room for the package.

_"It's on the top shelf,"_ Nico called out. _"I can see it from here."_

Will glanced at his bookcase and spotted it at once. "Ah! Thanks, babe!"

_"Don't call me that."_

"Sure, Pudding Pop."

_"Add another tally to the amount of times I have to hit you. Where are we at now?"_

"I believe that's fourteen."

_"And it hasn't even been a month yet."_

Will sat back down, holding the silver and gold wrapped present in his hand. He smiled at the tag, at his name scribbled in Nico's neat cursive. "Got mine?"

Nico held up a red and green present with a black bow on top. _"To the Italian, love the Cowboy," _Nico read aloud with a sigh. _"Are you ever going to let that go?"_

"You're the one with the cowboy fetish, dude."

_"I hate you."_

Will winked. "Yeah, yeah. You gonna open it or what?"

_"Bossy."_ Nico tore at the paper eagerly and immediately glared up at Will, who burst into laughter as Nico held up a fake white beard of his own.

"Oh my God! Look at your face!" Will cried. "Put it on, put it on, put it on!"

Nico sighed, glanced over his shoulder anxiously, and rose the beard to his face, securing it behind his ears. _"How do I look?"_

Will understood exactly why Nico had had a laughing fit earlier. Will could scarcely breathe let alone get out an answer. "Y-yo-you l-look s-so cute!" he choked out. "I-I can't take it!"

_"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you and your awful jokes,"_ Nico huffed, going to take it off.

"W-wait!" Will reached out and took a screenshot of his laptop. It made an obvious clicking noise, like the lens of a camera fluttering shut.

Nico made an outraged noise. _"William Solace! Did you just take a picture of me?"_

Will grinned cheekily. "Maybe!"

_"I am going to KILL YOU! Delete that right now!"_

"No way! Never!"

_"WILL!"_

"Sorry, not happening! It's too precious to me!"

Nico scowled, which looked far too adorable when he was still wearing a fake beard. Knowing he'd pay for it later, he took a second screenshot. As soon as Nico heard the sound he squawked in indignation, ripping the beard off and angrily sputtering out in Italian. Will didn't even care if he was being called a thousand different horrible words; he could listen to Nico speak Italian all night long.

"There's more, you know," Will interrupted and pointed at the present. "I didn't just get you embarrassment for Christmas."

Nico huffed, muttering that Will better not have just gotten him a scratchy, cheap beard. He heard him digging in the wrapping paper. Nico lifted out a large jar filled with tiny envelopes. He looked questioningly at Will, so he explained. "There are two hundred and nineteen little notes in there. One for every day between now and August eighth, when I get to see you again." There was something unreadable in Nico's expression. Will gulped. "Uh, Annabeth told me about it. Only some of them are romantic. Mostly they're jokes and random facts because I couldn't think of enough nice things to say." He glanced away. "If it's too sappy, I… uh…"

Nico shook his head vigorously and hugged the jar closer to him. _"No! No, uh, it's just, uh… it makes my gift look dumb."_

Will clicked his tongue. "Now, I'm sure that's not true at all!" He looked down at the present and smiled. "You could have gotten me a piece of coal and I would've been happy."

_"…I actually considered that as a gag."_

"Can I open it now?"

He nodded.

Will carefully removed the wrapping paper, trying hard not to tear it. Nico barked at him to hurry it up but Will shushed him. Slowly, he managed to uncover a small little box. Grinning, he opened it. The smile slipped off his face as he pulled out a nice-looking watch. The face showed a globe, with two hour hands instead of one. One of them, Will noticed, said "ME" and the other said "HIM". It looked, and felt, expensive and well-made.

_"It, uh… tells both of our times,"_ Nico muttered, hiding himself again. _"I figured if anything it would be useful. You know…"_

Will's heart ached when he saw an engraving on the back. _Made in Italy._ "Nico," he whispered, "you seriously shouldn't have. This is… this is seriously too much!"

_"It's nothing…"_

"No, for real!" Will gaped. "Is this real gold? How much was this? You shouldn't spend so much on _me!"_

_"I don't care about that, Will."_

"Well, you should!" Will huffed, but immediately fastened the watch around his wrist. It fit perfectly. "But, it's nice. Really."

_"It's not as thoughtful as a jar full of heartfelt notes,"_ Nico muttered, looking away with red cheeks.

"Shut up. I love it." Will watched as the minute hand slowly chased after the second hand. "Thank you."

Nico shrugged. _"I should be thanking you."_

"For what?"

_"Just… for…"_ Nico sighed. _"For being you."_

Will smiled. He reached out to touch Nico's face, obstructed by the thin screen. "I miss you."

Nico frowned. He looked down. _"I miss you, too. And, uh… I—"_

Nico's bedroom door opened. _"NICO! Stop flirting with your boyfriend and go to sleep! It's one in the morning, for God's sake!"_

Nico flushed angrily and he spun around. _"Get out of my room, Bianca! I'm kind of in the middle of something!"_

_"I bet! Just keep it down, will you? It's bad enough I have to hear you moping about him during the day!"_

_"GET OUT!" _Nico shouted, scrambling out of his chair to shut the door on his sister's face.

_"I'll tell Dad!"_

_"Go ahead! Wake him up and see what happens!"_ Nico rushed back and blew his hair out of his face. _"Sorry, amore, I have to go."_

"No problem." Will grinned and tapped his new watch. "It's getting late, after all."

Nico smiled sheepishly and glanced at his door. _"I'll, uh, message you tomorrow."_

"I'll be waiting." He leaned forward expectantly. "See you."

Nico did the same, until their faces were both pressed up against the camera. Will's lips pressed against the lens just ever so slightly and received a shock for his troubles. He lurched back, cursing as Nico gave a nervous laugh. _"Goodnight, Will,"_ he said.

Will held his lips and smiled. "Night, Sunshine. Merry Christmas."

Nico's smile could have melted the snow outside his window. _"Buon Natale." _He reached forward and, with one last goodbye, hung up, leaving Will feeling strangely alone.

He sighed and looked down at his watch, tracing the face delicately. It was one-fifteen in the morning in Venice – December 25th. As he was admiring his gift, he realized something. Nico had called him something Italian. _A moor _or something. _Amore._ That was it.

Curiously, he googled it and almost slid right off his chair in his haste to message Nico.

**_So… I'm your 'Love' am I? XD XOXO_**

It didn't take long for him to get a response.

**_IOU 15 punches._**

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I wrote this so fast and it probably shows but I wanted to do a Christmas-fic with this AU and I'm an idiot who has three stories to finish and instead starts writing two more. Anywho, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all of you guys! Travel carefully, practice safe caroling, and enjoy your day off! :3_**


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